Morenci city council 4.15.09

City council will turn its attention to Gorham Street next as the sidewalk maintenance program continues.

Walks were installed previously near the elementary school—with one remaining on East Locust Street, one remaining on Washington Street and the elementary school scheduled for installation this summer—and in the next fiscal year the city will share costs on Gorham Street.

Letters will be sent to residents on Gorham Street where no walks exist. If property owners choose to have the work done through the city’s cost-share program, the city will pay $7 a running foot which is about half the cost.

If residents don’t make arrangements through the city to have the work done, a contractor will be hired to install the walk and a bill for the entire cost will be sent to the owner.

Letters will be sent soon, stating that property owners have until July 1 to respond with plans. Work must be completed during the next fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.

Walks in need of repair will be addressed after the properties with no walks are handled.

One Gorham Street resident already took out a form for sidewalk replacement, said city administrator/cleark Renée Schroeder.

The sidewalk replacement plan was developed by the planning commission in 2005.

Tracy Schell and Jason Cook voted against the motion, at the request of the union steward.

The union steward asked for council to delay its vote due to a mixup in details between union members and their AFSCME representative, Schell said.

Council member Keith Pennington noted that according to the contract, city council is to abide by the union representative’s directions. Pennington said he checked back with the representative after he heard about the concerns and was told “in no uncertain terms” to move forward with a vote on the contract.

Police chief Larry Weeks said approval is only for tentative agreement and there is still time for discussion.

The contract calls for a pay increase of three percent in each year of the two-year contract for full-time officers and a four percent increase for part-time officers. On-call pay increases from $3 an hour to $4 and the uniform allowance increases by $50 to $700 annually.

Other changes involve the prescription drug card and the pension plan.